The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines on September 26, 2022, has ignited fierce debate over responsibility, with former German intelligence chief August Hanning alleging a collaboration between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish President Andrzej Duda. As investigations unfold, the narrative shifts from initial accusations against Russia to complex geopolitical implications involving the U.S., Ukraine, and Poland..
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were sabotaged on 26 September 2022 after a series of underwater explosions and gas leaks.
Modernity.news reports: Much of the legacy media initially blamed Russia for attack, claiming it was a false flag but offering no sensible reason as to why Moscow would target its own energy infrastructure.
However, during an appearance on German broadcaster WELT-TV, August Hanning, who served as the head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005, the attack was carried out at the behest of Zelensky and Andrzej Duda.
According to Hanning, the act of sabotage occurred as a result of an “agreement between the highest officials in Ukraine and Poland.”
“There were agreements between Zelensky and Duda to carry out the attack,” said Hanning.
As we highlighted yesterday, Germany issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian diver believed to be involved in the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines, but Polish authorities failed to stop him at the border and he is now believed to be back in Ukraine.
Berlin issued a European arrest warrant for Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Z. after identifying him as the chief suspect for placing the explosives that destroyed the pipelines, but Polish authorities claimed they didn’t apprehend the suspect as a result of Berlin not including his name in a database of wanted persons.
The pipeline attack was preceded by warnings from the White House that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would spell the end for Nord Stream 2.
Oh look, it's Victoria Nuland saying "Trump won't be president" and smirking just like she did when she said "Nordstream 2 will not move forward" pic.twitter.com/MH2vb2oVC4
— Harrison H. Smith ✞ (@HarrisonHSmith) July 17, 2024
On January 27, 2022, Under-Secretary of State Victoria Nuland stated, “If Russia invades Ukraine, one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward.”
On February 7, 2022, President Biden said, “If Russia invades… again, then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2.”
In February 2023, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh published a report asserting that the pipelines were destroyed by the US as part of a covert operation.
According to Hersh’s sources, the explosives were planted in June 2022 by US Navy divers under the guise of the BALTOPS 22 NATO exercise and were detonated three months later with a remote signal sent by a sonar buoy.
It remains to be seen conclusively who ordered and carried out the attack, but the argument that Russia was behind it is looking increasingly tenuous.
P.s. The situation surrounding the Nord Stream pipelines is indeed complex and layered with geopolitical intricacies. The pipelines, which transport natural gas from Russia to Europe, were sabotaged on September 26, 2022, causing significant environmental and economic repercussions.
Former German intelligence chief August Hanning's claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish President Andrzej Duda were involved in the sabotage highlights the shifting narrative surrounding responsibility for the attack. Initially, many Western media outlets and analysts pointed to Russia as the primary suspect, arguing that Moscow might seek to destabilize European energy security amid the war in Ukraine. Yet, as you've noted, critics have highlighted the implausibility of Russia targeting its own infrastructure.
Hersh's February 2023 report adds another layer, suggesting U.S. involvement in the attack under the guise of a NATO exercise. This theory posits that the U.S. aimed to undermine Russian leverage over European energy supplies, particularly in the context of escalating tensions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The contention that the U.S. orchestrated the attack has sparked debates about the extent of American influence in European security matters.
The issuance of an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian diver linked to the attack reflects the ongoing investigation's complications. The diver's escape back to Ukraine raises questions about international cooperation in law enforcement and the challenges of prosecuting suspected operatives across borders, especially amid the ongoing conflict.
Overall, the narrative continues to evolve as more information surfaces, and the complexity of international relations makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions about responsibility. Public opinion, influenced by political narratives and media coverage, will likely continue to shift as the investigation and discussions around the incident proceed.